Ring-laminated structures of folded stretchable tape-material



July 9, 1968 A. A. REINMAN 3,391,713

RING-LAMINATED STRUCTURES OF FOLDED STRETCHABLE TAPE MATERIAL Original Filed April 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 3 v 46 ALBERT A. REM/MAN LI mvamox 4O 35 BY un-J ATTORNEY A. A. REINMAN 3,391,713

RING-LAMINATED STRUCTURES OF FOLDED STRETCHABLE TAPEMATERIAL July 9, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 14, 1960 ME C KE mwR H Kw ABM H R C P M I n 7 O 4 INVENTOR.

m N 0 m m m A ATTORNEY RING-LAMINATED STRUCTURES OF FOLDED STRETCHABLE TAPE MATERIAL Original Filed April 14, 1960 A. A. REINMAN July 9, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5COR\NG ALaE/W'A. PE/NMAN INVENT OR.

BY F

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,391,713 RING-LAMINATED STRUCTURES OF FOLDED STRETCHABLE TAPE-MATERIAL Albert A. Reininan, Redondo Beach, Calif., assignor to Hitco, a corporation of California Original application Apr. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 22,188, now Patent No. 3,141,806, dated July 21, 1964. Divided and this application Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 355,530

Claims. (Cl. 138144) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ring-laminated structures are prepared from a length of folded stretchable tape material having a filamentary guide element disposed centrally along the length of the tape material, the tape material being folded about the filamentary guide element and the edges of the tape material being folded in toward the guide element along the length of the tape material to leave a space to compensate for the width of the guide element.

This application is a division of patent application Ser. No. 22,188, filed Apr. 14, 1960, now Patent No. 3,141,806.

This invention relates to machines for fabricating str uc tures which have excellent temperature and erosion resistant properties, and more particularly to machines for fabricating fiber reinforced structures in which the fibers are disposed most advantageously for exposure to high temperature sources.

With the increasing usage of devices which employ or encounter very high temperature conditions, there is a growing need for materials and structures which are resistive to the decomposition and erosion which ordinarily result from exposure to high temperature gases and other environments. There have thus been developed a number of compositions and materials which maintain their physical integrity under exposure to high temperature gases or sources, but which at the same time have low heat conductivity and high resistance to erosion and ablation effects. A particularly advantageous class of such structures is provided by the use of fiber reinforced ma terials, and a particularly suitable type of materials within this class is that which uses vitreous fibers having a high silica content.

Vitreous silica has a high melting point and a high heat of vaporization, as well as excellent viscosity and thermal characteristics at and about its melting point. These properties are usually best utilized in configurations in which the silica fibers are used as reinforcements in an impregnated structure, such as one impregnated with a phenolic resin. Reinforced bodies using fibers which have a high vitreous silica content are now employed to provide the exposed surface portions of many jet engine and rocket parts. Alternatively, however, other fibers and impregnating materials may be used in accordance with modern plastics fabrication techniques. The reinforcing materials may initially be in the form of mats, rovings or batts, although textiles are usually used.

A particularly significant development in the provision of high temperature structures is concerned with the disposition of the individual fibers relative to the exposed surface. The structures are usually built up of laminations, as of successive layers of plastic impregnated cloth. It has been shown that when these laminations are at an angle which is inclined in the same direction as the movement of the adjacent gases, so that the part of a layer which is most exposed is that which is furthest along the path of flow, the structure is more resistant to heat erosion effects than it is when the laminations are inclined to- 3,391,713 Patented July 9, 1968 ward the gas flow, thus allowing the successive layers to be exposed to peeling forces.

A related and also significant part of the control of fiber disposition pertains to the direction in which the individual fibers are oriented relative to the exposed surface. It has been shown that if only the fiber ends are presented at the exposed surface there is a further appreciable increase in the resistance to erosion and ablation. With such a construction each fiber is anchored firmly in a cold region of the laminated structure, so that only the exposed ends melt away. Accordingly, the interlocking relationship of the great majority of the fibers is retained, so that the total strength of the structure and its physical integrity are preserved. This end grain orientation of the fibers makes most excellent use of the viscosity and heat of vaporization characteristics of the silica fibers, and effectively carries the heat away so that the cold side of the structure remains at a much lower temperature.

A number of problems have been encountered in fabricating high temperature structures in which both the direction of lamination and the individual orientation of the fiber reinforcements are properly controlled. A principal difficulty arises from the fact that silica fiber materials of sutficiently high silica content are relatively expensive. Many techniques which have heretofore been used have not been able to avoid large proportions of waste material thus have been prohibitive in cost. Similarly, the use of special weaving techniques has also been found to be too costly for most applications.

A number of difficulties have also been encountered because of the necessity of having high and uniform density throughout the entire fabricated structure. Clearly, the greater the content of silica fibers per unit volume, relative to the impregnating material, the greater will be the temperature and erosion resistance of the structure. The problems involved in producing uniform parts are often materially increased because the resin impregnated silica fiber textiles which are usually employed are apt to vary appreciably in certain respects. It has been found that diificulties can arise relative to controlling the thickness and tackiness (surface adhesive properties) of these textiles. In the fabrication of temperature resistant structures, therefore, these and other variable factors have resulted in wide variations in density within the structure. The results of the variations have included loss of high temperature properties, decrease in the physical properties, and occasionally cracking and failure of the structure during subsequent processing steps.

It has been shown, in a previously filed application for patent, Ser. No. 1,554, filed Jan. 11, 1960, now Patent No. 3,140,968 by Hector R. Barrios et al., that the above difliculties may be minimized by a technique in which strips of silica fiber material may be: wound upon a rotating central form and partially densitied by axial compression during the winding process. As described in the Barrios et al. application, structures having the desired individual fiber dispositions may be provided rapidly, uniformly, and with a minimum of waste material by this technique. This technique, however, sometimes limits the size or configuration of the structure which can be provided. Thus, it has been found diificult to fabricate thickwalled structures which are uniform in density throughout the wall. Stringet requirements are imposed where the direction of the laminations may have to be at a critical or severe angle, and when there is a requirement for uniform density along the entire length of the structure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved machines for fabricating high temperature and erosion resistant structures of fiber rein-forced materials in which the fibers have selected dispositions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine for rapidly and reliably fabricating high temperature resistant structures which are uniform in density throughout their thicxness and along their entire length.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine for fabricating structures in the form of surfaces of revolution having relatively thick walls which are defined by laminations lying in selected directions, the laminations consisting of fiber reinforcing materials in which the individual fibers lie in selected orientations relative to the su races of the structure.

Machines in accordance witn the invention may utilize a central rotatable mandrel about which a distortahle tape of fiber material is wound in the form of ring laminations. The tape material being added onto the wound structure may be maintained under pressure by roller means, extending across the width of the tape, which are segmented relative to the width of the tape. The roller means may be controlled in movement so as to bear against the tape material in a direction normal to the desired direction of lamination, and may be coupled to provide a controlled and uniform pressure along the entire length of the mandrel.

In particular arrangements in accordance with the invention a rotatable turntable which turns about a vertical axis may be mounted in a frame structure which also includes drive means for the turntable. A mandrel coupled to the turntable may extend along a vertical axis and be supported in the frame, with the mandrel having an outer configuration which matches the inner configuration desired for the product. A distortable tape material, such as a textile woven of high silica content fibers which are disposed on a bias relative to the direction of elongation of the tape, is wound edgedwise about the mandrel as the mandrel rotates. Thus the tape material is wound helically upon the mandrel to form ring laminations in the desired direction of lamination. A pressure mechanism mounted in the frame brings one or more pressure roller devices to bear against the turn of strip which is added onto the wound structure. The working surfaces of the pressure roller devices are preferably of a material having a low coefiicient of friction, and are segmented across the width of the tape. Each of the segments is free to rotate relative to the other segments, and rolls along the tape material so as to press the wound structure together and to achieve partial densil'lcation. A substantially constant pressure is exerted by the pressure roller devices upon the wound structure along the entire length of the mandrel, by an air cylinder coupled to the pressure rollers and a constant pressure control for the air cylinder. The pressure mechanism, and the pressure roller roller devices, may be placed in desired attitudes relative to the direction of lamination of the wound structure, so that the pressure rollers bear against the tape material in a direction normal to the desired direction of lamination.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the directions of lamination are maintained substantially uniform along the length of the wound structure through the use of filamentary guide elements and a special folding of the tape material. The tape material is folded over the filamentary guide element along its length, with the guide element being employed to control placement and tensioning of the tape material. Additional edge folds introduced into the tape compensate for the width of the filamentary guide element and maintain the direction of the laminations uniform.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, special frictional surfaces may be employed on the outside of the mandrel when the structures to be fabricated is tapered in a direction such that the tape material would tend to ride along the mandrel away from the body of the wound structure.

A better uiulcrstanding of the invention may be had 4 by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of one machine in accordance with the invention which utilizes pressure roller devi an air pressure source, and a distortable tape mate] FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine of FIG. 1, with portions of the structure being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the arrangement of FIG. 1, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a fragment of the arrangement of FIG. 1, taken along the line -t4 of PEG. 1 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a pressure roller device;

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view of the pressure roller device, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

FIG. 7 is a simplified representation of an air pressure control which may be employed in the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a simplified representation of a mechanism for feeding a distortable tape material to the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the configuration of distortable tape material which may be employed with the machine of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of an arrangement which may be used in conjunction with the machines shown.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a machine for winding high temperature resistant structures which have relatively thick walls and uniform density both across and along the length of the walls. Although the machine will be described in terms of a vertical winding axis, and as having front and rear portions, it will be understood that these terms are used for case of reference only, and that the machine may have arbitrary positions and attitudes. The machine includes a rigid frame structure 19 having a stable mounting base 11. Side supports 14 extending upwardly from the base 11 are coupled by a top bar portion of the frame 10 and a generally I-shaped cross member 15 (best seen in section in FIG. 3). A number of operative elements are supported by, and movable along, the cross member 15.

A turntable 17 is rotatably mounted in the base 11, and driven by a motor 18 through a mechanical coupling 19 which may consist of beveled gears, as shown, or a belt or some other form of drive. The turntable 17 rotates about a vertical axis which defines a central operating axis for the machine. A mandrel 20 is mounted upon the turntable 17 and coupled to rotate therewith. Because the various couplings and mounts may be of conventional types, they have not been illustrated in detail.

At its upper end, the mandrel 20 is rotatably supported in a centering member 21 which extends from the cross member 15. The mandrel 20 includes, at its lower end relative to the frame, a lay-up ring 22 which provides a surface having an angle of inclination corresponding to that desired for the direction of lamination of the structure which is to be wound. The remainder of the outer configuration of the mandrel 20 corresponds to the configuration, and to the approximate dimensions, desired for the inner surface of the structure to be formed.

A feed reel 23 which is rotatably mounted on a fixed reel base 24 provides a supply of distortable tape material 25 for the machine. The feed reel 23 is shown at a fixed location but may be arranged, for some applications, to be movable with other parts of the machine so as to feed the tape 25 toward the mandrel 29 at a relatively constant angle, regardless of the amount of tape wound about the mandrel. A wound structure 26 is built up by the tape 25 and the mandrel 20.

As shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2, a guide filament reel 27 which is also coupled to and mounted rotatably in the reel base 24 provides a supply of guide filament 28 to be fed cocxtensively with the tape 25. The guide filament 28 may be a wire or other thin and relatively strong material, but in the present example is preferably a nylon cord. The guide filament 28 is fed centrally along the length of the tape through guide rollers 30, and the tape 25 is then folded along its centerline about the filament 28 by a fold guide 31. It is preferred to use guide rollers 30 and a fold guide 31 of a material having a low coeflicient of friction, such as polytetrafiuoroethylene, which will be more simply referred to be its recognized name of Teflon. The tape 25 is preferably additionally folded along its edges in a manner described more fully in conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9, but such features have not been shown in detail for simplicity in the views of FIGS. 1 and 2.

A pressure mechanism is employed which has two like units disposed on opposite sides of the mandrel 20. The two units of the pressure mechanism are each mounted in and supported by the cross member 15, with the units being reversed relative to each other in the front to rear direction. Each unit includes a hinge plate member 33 (FIGS. 3 and 6, as well as 1 and 2) including tongues 34 in slidable engagement in grooves extending along the cross member 15. A retainer plate 35 (best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6) is mounted to rotate within the hinge plate member 33 in a vertical plane. A gear 36 mounted on a shaft 37 in the hinge plate 33 meshes with a rack 38 extending along the cross member 15, and may be turned by a demountable crank (not shown) so as to position the hinge plate member 33 and the associated structure at a desired lateral location on the machine.

Each unit of the pressure mechanism also includes, referring again principally to FIG. 1, an air pressure system mounted on a support arm 40 aflixed to the retainer plate 35. Clamps 41 adjustably mounted in the support arm 40 about the periphery of the hinge plate member 33 may be tightened to bear against the hinge plate member 33 and hold the retainer plate 35 and the support arm 40 in any desired position of rotation. An air cylinder 43 mounted on the support arm 40 includes a piston 44 having a free end which extends adjacent to the mandrel 20 at an angle determined by the setting of the retainer plate 35. Telescoping tubings 46, 47 which are anchored on the support arm 40 are extensible in a direction parallel to the piston 44 to provide additional support for elements mounted on the free end of the piston 44.

For each of the units of the pressure mechanism, a pressure roller device 50 is mounted on the free ends of the piston 44 and the parallel tubing support 47 so as to be radially movable with the piston 44 relative to the retainer plate 35. The pressure roller device 5% may be seen in best detail in the views of FIGS. 5 and 6. With reference to those figures, each pressure roller device '50 includes a body member 51 coupled to the piston 44 and the tubing support 47 and an arm member 52 which is coupled to the body member 51 by a bolt 53. A worm gear 55 attached to the arm member 52 and a worm 56 rotatably mounted in the body member 51 permit the arm member 52 to be rotated to and maintained in any desired attitude relative to the body member 51.

The arm member 52 includes an integral bearing 59 which terminates in a roller cap 60, and a member of Teflon discs 61 are mounted about the bearing 59. Teflon is the United States registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc., for polytetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon resins. Together, the Teflon discs 61 define a pressure cylinder which is rotatable relative to the bearing 59. Each of the discs 61 is, moreover, freely rotatable relative to the adjacent discs. With the pressure roller device 50 in operative position on the machine, the bearing 59 is directed radially inwardly toward the center of the mandrel 20 (FIG. 1) and the vertical axis about which the mandrel 20 rotates, and the pressure cylinder defined by the discs 61 may conveniently be referred to as being radially segmented.

The machine (referring again to FIG. 1) is so arranged that the pressures exerted by the pressure roller devices 50 are substantially constant along the entire length of the mandrel 20. To this end, the air cylinder 43 includes a bleed valve (FIG. 7), coupled to the tubing support 47, and the bleed valve 70 operates to maintain the pressure in the air cylinder 43 constant despite the amount of retraction of the piston 44. Air pressure from a source 72 is provided through a check valve 71 to the enclosed portion of the air cylinder 43. Retraction of the piston 43 would otherwise tend to compress the air further, but the bleed valve 70 is opened a proportional amount to prevent the buildup. This results in the exertion of substantially constant pressure by the pressure roller device 50 on the wound structure 26.

The distortable tape 25 which is employed may be considered in more detail. In a preferred form for the present discussion, the tape 25 is a textile material made up of fibers having a high silica content, approximately 96% to 99% or more silica on a dehydrated basis. Preferably also, although not necessarily, the material is coated with a phenolic resin which is partially cured. These partially cured, or so-called B stage, resins provide some tackiness and increase the strength of the textile material during processing. In addition, the partially cured resin provides other advantages (including strength and drapeability) for handling and processing the product. It should be noted, however, that other fibers such as nylon, or other forms of vitreous fibers than those mentioned, may be employed and that the impregnating material need not be a resin or in a partially cured condition. The tape is referred to as being distortable because it may be stretched along its length or laterally across its length. This property in the present instance is derived from both the characteristics of resin impregnated silica fiber textiles and the fact that the tape is cut on a bias relative to the weave of the textile. A bias of approximately 45 is ordinarily employed. Such a bias cut provides a tape material in which the individual fibers are disposed at an angle to the edge of the tape, as shown in the initial stages of the detailed views of FIGS. 8 and 9. When the tape is wound edgewise relative to the mandrel, therefore, the individual fibers have end grain orientations relative to the mandrel surface.

It is preferred to fabricate an essentially continuous (extremely long length) strip by cutting bolts of silica fiber textile material on a bias into strips, and then joining the bias cut strips together in overlapping end relation by heating the overlapping portions while under pressure and maintaining the pressure until the overlapping portions have cooled. It is then found that at the point of pressure the partially cured resins have joined in a firm seal to unite the adjacent sections of strip, to form the essentially continuous strips illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Strip material of this nature may be of approximately .040 in non-compressed form and .0207" in thickness in compressed form while a nylon guide filament 28 of suitable strength for use in the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be of approximately .040 in diameter. When the distortable tape 25 is folded over the guide filament 28, therefore, the presence of the filament causes the folded tape to bulge along the fold line, so that the directions of laminations may change during the winding process. Accordingly, as shown in the views of FIGS. 8 and 9, the edges of the tape material 25 are folded in" prior to the folding of the tape material about its center over the nylon filament 28. This is accomplished by initially scoring the tape material by scoring rollers 63 at selected fold points along the length of the material, and then folding the edges of the material in along the scoring line by a shaped Teflon guide 64 and passing the tape material 25 through pressure rollers 66, which may be spring loaded, if desired, to form the configuration shown in the center portion of FIG. 9. Thereafter, as in FIG. 8, the double width edges of the tape material 25 may be folded over together about the nylon filament 28, by passage through the guide rollers 30 and the fold guide 31 (also shown in FIG. 1) prior to winding about the mandrel 20. The

various rollers and guide elements are preferably of Teflon or some other low friction material.

In the operation of the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, a mandrel is employed which has an outer surface in the configuration of a surface of revolution which is the approximate shape and size desired for the inner surface of the structure to be fabricated. The mandrel 20 is mounted between the turntable 17 and the bearing 21, and is driven to rotate with the turntable 17 at at selected speed by the motor 18 through the coupling 19. The mandrel 2t includes, at its base portion, the lay-up ring 22 which defines the direction of lamination desired for the laminations in the final product. The two pressure mechanisms are adjusted by fixing the included retainer plate and support arm at desired positions or rotation with the clamps 41, and moving the hinge plate member 33 with the gears 36 so that each piston 44 and support tubing 47 which holds a pressure roller device 56 extends at an angle which parallels the principal surface of the mandrel 2d. The arm members 52 of the pressure roller devices are then rotated by the worms 56 and worm gears to positions in which the axes of rotation of the Teflon discs 61 are parallel to the direction of lamination desired. With respect to the central vertical axis of the mandrel 29, the Teflon discs 61 are then radially disposed across the width of the structure which is to be wound. The air pressure source 72 is maintained at any desired pressure. In one practical exemplification, given by way of example, an air pressure of approximately p.s.i. was employed, the pressure exerted by the pressure roller devices 50 accordingly being of the order of approximately 400 psi. based on the width of the tape and the desired density in the part. Because the desired final densities and configuration may vary widely, the pressure to be selected may also vary widely for a given part.

As the mandrel 28 is rotated, the distortable tape 2'5, prepared as previously described, is fed (see FIGS. 8 and 9 specifically) from the tape feed reel 23 while the nylon filament 28 is led from the guide filament reel 27. The tape 25 is selected to be of a width such that in the subsequent processing the width of the folded over and wound structure is at least slightly greater than the desired Wall thickness. The tape 25 from the feed reel 23 is first scored by the scoring rollers 63, the edges are folded in along the scoring lines by the Teflon guide 64-, and the folded in edges are then pressed down between the pressure rollers 66. As the nylon filament 28 is fed coextensively along the length of the tape 25, the filament 28 is centrally placed relative to the width of the tape by the guide rollers 3t}, and the tape 25 is finally folded along its centerline about the nylon filament 28 as the elements pass through the fold guide 31.

The leading edge of the tape 25 is first affixed to, pressed against or merely wound in a turn about the mandrel 2t lay-up ring 22, so that subsequent turns may be wound upon the mandrel 26 under some tension to insure that the inner edge of the tape 25 is fitted tightly against the mandrel 20 and the adjacent turn of tape.

The distortable tape 25 is therefore wound edgewise about the mandrel 20, at an angle determined by the angle of the lay-up ring 22. In moving onto the wound structure 26 which is built up, the tape is pressed in toward the previously wound turns by the pressure roller devices 5%). In the past, where it has been sought to use a wide material in order to build a thick wall in the final structure, a number of difficulties have been encountered. Materials of proper characteristics might be especially prepared for a particular application without giving a uniform density across the width of the tape. Further, only relatively low densities could be achieved with such arrangements. These difiiculties are overcome by the employment of the bias cut tape material and the segmented pressure roller of low friction material disposed across the width of the tape.

As the tape material 25 is wound edgewise about the mandrel 29, the outer periphery of the tape turns faster than the inner periphery through the fact that the individual fibers, which are disposed at approximately 45 to the direction of elongation of the tape, distort sufficiently and do not restrict movement in either the longitudinal or lateral directions relative to the tape. The B stage resin impregnation does not restrict this distortability. In conjunction with the distortability of the tape, uniform compression across the width of the tape is achieved through the segmented discs 61 of low friction material. Because the discs d]; are free to turn relative to each other, they adjust to speeds which conform to the different peripheral speeds across the width of the tape, and prevent shearing forces from arising which would tend to cause the tape to tear, pull away from the mandrel, or have local faults.

The usefulness of the folded-in edges of the tape material 25 will now also be apparent. Where the nylon fiia" ment 28 is of appreciable thickness relative to the thickness of the tape, the inner edge of the wound structure cannot be sufficiently compressed, even if special means are employed, to prevent the inner surface from building up faster than the outer surface due to the presence of the filament 23. With tape material 25 of the usual dimensions of approximately .020" and nylon filaments 28 of approximately .040 for sufiicient strength, it may be seen that, without compression, the inner edge would tend to build up at a rate twice that of the outer edge. The compression which is applied along the length of the long structure materially reduces this build-up differential, but a differential nonetheless exists which can become appreciable in some circumstances. By folding in the edges of the tape material 25 prior to doubling over for final winding, however, satisfactory compensation is made for the thickness of the nylon filament 28. Accordingly, the direction of lamination is maintained with a high degree of precision along the entire length of the wound structure. This factor also insures uniformity in the thickness of the wall dimension as well.

The winding of the tape material 25 about the mandrel 20 proceeds along the length of the mandrel 20, with the pressure roller devices 50 moving along the mandrel 20 as the wound structure is built up. Because of the angle of inclination of the piston 44- and the support tubing 47, the Teflon discs 61 maintain a pressure normal to the direction of lamination at all times. Furthermore, by the use of the bleed mechanism (best seen in FIG. 7) which is controlled by the mechanical motion of the piston 4.4 and support 47, the air pressure from the source 72 is maintained constant within the cylinder 43 despite retraction of the piston 44 into the air cylinder 43. The axial compression achieves a partial densification of the wound structure and materially aids the attainment of high final densities, so that the maintenance of uniform pressure in this manner is of particular significance.

When a wound structure 26 of the desired length has been built up on the mandrel 20, the final processing steps may be undertaken. Both the mandrel 20 and the wound structure 26 may be removed from the machine, and final densification may be achieved by fully curing the resin impregnation at an elevated temperature in an autoclave. Then the wound structure 26 may be removed from the mandrel 2t and machined to desired final dimensions. Alternativel, the wound structure 26 may first be densified by mechanical means, then cured, removed from the mandrel and machined.

The wound structures provided by machines in accordance with the present invention consist of ring-type laminations which lie in a desired direction, and also have end grain orientation of individual fibers which is desired. When used in high temperature applications, the temperature and erosion resistant properties of the materials employed are utilized to the fullest. Operation of the presently described machines is particularly useful in providing thick-walled structures, in maintaining constant density both along the length of the structure and through the walls of the structure, and in preserving these properties despite maintenance of the direction of laminations at a sharp angle relative to the surfaces which are exposed to the high temperature environments. It may readily be seen that a direction of lamination which is parallel or normal to the exposed surface may be much more easily provided than an intermediate angle.

While the present machines are described for use in conjunction with high silica content fibers formed in distortable tape materials, it will be recognized that other fibers, other coatings or impregnations and other forms of distortable tapes may also be employed. Thus, the distortable tape may be in the form of a roving, or consist of a mat material. It will also be recognized that a single pressure device may be employed if desired, or that more than two pressure devices may be used in other circumstances.

A further feature is provided, as is shown in FIG. 10, by the use of a frictional surface on a mandrel where the taper of the mandrel 20 is such that the tape material tends to ride away from the wound structure 26. With the mandrel 20 of FIG. 10, for example, a tape material 25 under tension might ride upwards, reducing the density of the structure and disturbing the uniformity. Accordingly, a layer of frictional material is placed about the mandrel 20 through use of a number of sheets of sandpaper 75 held together by pressure sensitive tape 76. The tape 76 may be placed only circumferentially about, or along the length of, the mandrel 20.

With this arrangement the distortable tape material 25 stays firmly in position against the adjacent turns. The presence of the frictional material does not alter the final dimensions of the structure, or may be compensated for in the size of the mandrel 20. Further, the sandpaper 75 and pressure sensitive tape 76 do not interfere with the subsequent processing steps in the formation of a fully machined product.

Thus there are provided improved machines for fabricating structures having superior temperature and erosion resistant properties. Uniformity and high density are provided in fiber reinforced structures constructed of materials which have controlled directions of lamination and individual fiber disposition.

What is claimed is:

1. A ring-laminated structure comprising ring laminations of a length folded stretchable tape material and a filamentary guide element disposed centrally along the length of the tape material, the tape material being folded about the filamentary guide element and the edges of the tape material being folded in toward the guide element along the length of the tape material leaving a space to compensate for the width of the guide element.

2. The method of preparing a bias cut silica fiber tape material for winding into a ring-laminated structure with a guide filament which includes the steps of scoring the tape material along its length along lines positioned between the center and the edges of the tape material, folding the edges of the tape material in toward the center along the scoring lines leaving a space to compensate for the width of the guide filament, feeding the guide filament along the length of the tape material at the approximate center thereof, and folding the tape material about the guide filament to form a quadruple thickness of fabric.

3. A structure of claim 1 comprising a thick-walled hollow body having the form of a surface of revolution.

4. A structure of claim 1 wherein the tape material comprises a thermally curable resin-impregnated fabric.

5. A structure of claim 1 wherein the tape material is a fabric woven of high silica content fibers.

6. A structure of claim 5 wherein the silica content is at least about 96% on a dehydrated basis.

7. A tape suitable for winding ring-laminated structures comprising a length of folded stretchable tape material and a filamentary guide element disposed centrally along the length of the tape material, the edges of the tape material being folded in toward the guide element along the length of the tape material leaving a space to compensate for the width of the guide element and the tape material being folded about the filamentary guide element such that a single width of the tape is a quadruple thickness of material.

8. A tape of claim 7 wherein the tape material comprises a thermally curable resin-impregnated fabric.

9. A tape of claim 7 wherein the tape material comprises a textile woven of high silica content fibers.

10. A tape of claim 9 cut on a bias relative to the weave of the textile.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,371,357 3/1945 Schindler 156-201 X 2,499,463 3/1950 Crary 161-99 1,777,730 10/1930 Osburn 156--227 X 2,827,414 3/1958 Bussard et al. 16171 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

PHILIP DIER, Examiner. 

